JUST FOUND THIS ON LINE..! :thumbs:
British hauliers have complained for years that while they pay to use roads on the continent their European counterparts enjoy free passage on UK carriageways.
The system will see a new annual charge introduced for all trucks driving on British roads. UK drivers will also pay the levy, but it will be offset by a corresponding road tax cut that will ensure British hauliers will be no worse off.
Patrick McLoughlin, the recently-appointed Transport Secretary, said the new levy “will deliver a vital shot in the arm to the UK haulage industryâ€. It will also raise up to £23.2million a year for the Exchequer, according to estimates by the Department for Transport.
Mr McLoughlin said: “By introducing charges we will create a level playing field, increasing UK competitiveness and boosting growth.
“It is simply not right that foreign lorries do not pay to use our roads, when our trucks invariably have to fork out when travelling to the continent.†It is estimated that foreign-registered lorries make 1.5million trips a year on British roads.